Zone d'identification
Cote
Titre
Date(s)
- 1582-1976 (Création/Production)
Niveau de description
Étendue matérielle et support
1210 linear metres
Zone du contexte
Nom du producteur
Notice biographique
Early water supply to the city of London came directly from wells and rivers. However, as early as 1236 the fresh water supply was dwindling as the number of residents in the city increased; and works began to bring in fresh water from outside the city. The water brought in by pipes and conduits was free to all, although trade use was taxed. Warders or Keepers were appointed to manage the conduits; financed by local taxes. On special occasions such as coronations the conduits were made to run with wine.
The era of free water gave way to the era of commercial supply with the foundation of the New River Company (1612) and the London Bridge Waterworks (1581). Chelsea Waterworks Company was founded in 1723, and in 1746 laid the first iron water main (pipes were previously made of wood or lead). The Southwark Water Company was founded in 1760, the Lambeth Water Works Company in 1785, the Vauxhall Water Company in 1805, the West Middlesex Waterworks Company in 1806, the East London Waterworks Company in 1807, the Kent Waterworks Company in 1809 and the Grand Junction Waterworks Company in 1811.
From the 1820's concern was expressed over the quality of the water supply, which was heavily polluted, leading the Chelsea Waterworks Company to introduce sand filtration. Others were slow to follow and London began to suffer the first of many cholera outbreaks. The Poor Law Commissioner's Sanitary Report of 1842 described the woeful sanitary conditions of London's poor, and recommended a constant water supply to every house. In 1849 Doctor John Snow published his pamphlet explaining that cholera was water-borne, and impetus was provided for reform and renewal of London's water supply, especially provision of clean water and a constant supply. However as many Members of Parliament were also shareholders of the water companies, it took a long time for reforming bills to be passed, and those that did get passed were either ignored or did not go far enough in their reforms.
It was not until 1902 that the Metropolis Water Act was passed, leading to the creation of the Metropolitan Water Board. This took over eight private water companies, taking over the New River Company headquarters on Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell. The board was made up of 66 delegated members, 14 from the London County Council, 31 from the Metropolitan Borough Councils and City Corporation, and 21 from the authorities of localities outside the water companies' areas. From 1907 widespread reservoir and waterworks building was carried out.
From 1974 the administration of the Metropolitan Water Board was transferred to the new Thames Water Authority. In 1989 Thames Water became a private company and set up a principal operating subsidiary, Thames Water Utilities Limited, to supply water and sewerage services.
Dépôt
Histoire archivistique
GB 0074 ACC/2558 1582-1976 Collection 1210 linear metres Chelsea Waterworks Company
Darenth Valley Main Sewerage Board
East London Waterworks Company
Grand Junction Waterworks Company
Kent Waterworks Company
Lambeth Waterworks Company
Lee Conservancy Catchment Board
Metropolitan Water Board
New River Company
Shadwell Waterworks Company
Staines Reservoir Joint Committee
Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company
Thames Water Authority
West Kent Main Sewerage Board
West Middlesex Waterworks Company
Early water supply to the city of London came directly from wells and rivers. However, as early as 1236 the fresh water supply was dwindling as the number of residents in the city increased; and works began to bring in fresh water from outside the city. The water brought in by pipes and conduits was free to all, although trade use was taxed. Warders or Keepers were appointed to manage the conduits; financed by local taxes. On special occasions such as coronations the conduits were made to run with wine.
The era of free water gave way to the era of commercial supply with the foundation of the New River Company (1612) and the London Bridge Waterworks (1581). Chelsea Waterworks Company was founded in 1723, and in 1746 laid the first iron water main (pipes were previously made of wood or lead). The Southwark Water Company was founded in 1760, the Lambeth Water Works Company in 1785, the Vauxhall Water Company in 1805, the West Middlesex Waterworks Company in 1806, the East London Waterworks Company in 1807, the Kent Waterworks Company in 1809 and the Grand Junction Waterworks Company in 1811.
From the 1820's concern was expressed over the quality of the water supply, which was heavily polluted, leading the Chelsea Waterworks Company to introduce sand filtration. Others were slow to follow and London began to suffer the first of many cholera outbreaks. The Poor Law Commissioner's Sanitary Report of 1842 described the woeful sanitary conditions of London's poor, and recommended a constant water supply to every house. In 1849 Doctor John Snow published his pamphlet explaining that cholera was water-borne, and impetus was provided for reform and renewal of London's water supply, especially provision of clean water and a constant supply. However as many Members of Parliament were also shareholders of the water companies, it took a long time for reforming bills to be passed, and those that did get passed were either ignored or did not go far enough in their reforms.
It was not until 1902 that the Metropolis Water Act was passed, leading to the creation of the Metropolitan Water Board. This took over eight private water companies, taking over the New River Company headquarters on Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell. The board was made up of 66 delegated members, 14 from the London County Council, 31 from the Metropolitan Borough Councils and City Corporation, and 21 from the authorities of localities outside the water companies' areas. From 1907 widespread reservoir and waterworks building was carried out.
From 1974 the administration of the Metropolitan Water Board was transferred to the new Thames Water Authority. In 1989 Thames Water became a private company and set up a principal operating subsidiary, Thames Water Utilities Limited, to supply water and sewerage services.
Deposited in 1988, with further accessions received at various times since, including records received from Thames Water's former archive held at Abbey Mills between 2014 and 2016..
Records of Thames Water predecessor companies (water supply) and local authorities (waste water management including sewer network), comprising the following:
ACC/2558/CH: Chelsea Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/DV: Darenth Valley Main Sewerage Board
ACC/2558/EL: East London Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/GJ: Grand Junction Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/KE: Kent Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/LA: Lambeth Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/LC: Lee Conservancy Catchment Board
ACC/2558/LL: London Local Authorities, Metropolitan Board of Works, London County Council and Greater London Council
ACC/2558/MW: Metropolitan Water Board
ACC/2558/NR: New River Company
ACC/2558/S: Shadwell Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/SR: Staines Reservoir Joint Committee
ACC/2558/SV: Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company
ACC/2558/TW: Thames Water Authority
ACC/2558/WK: West Kent Main Sewerage Board
ACC/2558/WM: West Middlesex Waterworks Company
The records include corporate records and minutes, staff records, clerk's papers, records relating to water supply and distribution, technical reports, purchase records, property records, legal papers, plans, substantial series of photographs, glass plate negatives and lanterns slides (especially clean water: under ACC/2558/MW/PH, ACC/2558/MW/GP and ACC/2558/MW/L and sewer and waste water: under ACC/2558/LL/PH) and financial accounts and ledgers.
Cataloguing of this collection has been funded by Thames Water. For more information about the cataloguing project which was completed September 2019, please see 'The Thames Water Treasure Trove' in 'Source' magazine, July 2016 (library reference: 24.217 THA). London Metropolitan Archives would like to thank Thames Water for funding the cataloguing of this collection.
The records of each company have been catalogued separately. Within each company the records are divided as follows:
A (1) Corporate Records - including board minutes, parliamentary and legal papers.
B (2) Accounting Records - these are usually very extensive but do not include stocks and shares records which appear in section A.
C (3) Staff Records
D (4) Water Supply and Distribution Records - including engineering and technical files.
E (5) Purchase Records - including stock books.
F (6) Property Records - many property matters are however dealt with in the legal papers in section A.
G (7) Miscellaneous Records
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Copyright rests with the depositor.
English
Some records are unfit for consultation; see individual catalogue entries for information.
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
See The London Encyclopaedia (ed. Weinreb and Hibbert) for articles on water supply and brief histories of the individual water companies. The LMA and Guildhall libraries hold a number of contemporary pamphlets and books relating to the problems of water supply in London; as well as later histories.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. July to October 2009. Updated October 2019. West Kent Main Sewerage Board Thames Water Authority Chelsea Waterworks Company West Middlesex Waterworks Company Darenth Valley Main Sewerage Board East London Waterworks Company Company archives Facilities Industrial facilities Waterworks Service industries Utilities Water utilities Water supply Water Drinking water Information sources Documents Business records Pollution Environmental degradation Water pollution Water resources management Water consumption Environmental engineering Waste disposal Sanitation Waste treatment Sewers Transport infrastructure Waterways Man-made watercourses Water resources Drainage Engineering Water-supply engineering Enterprises Companies Utility companies Water companies Law Legislation Utilities legislation Water Act 1973 c37 Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company Staines Reservoir Joint Committee Shadwell Waterworks Company New River Company Grand Junction Waterworks Company Kent Waterworks Company Lambeth Waterworks Company Lee Conservancy Catchment Board Metropolitan Water Board
Source immédiate d'acquisition ou de transfert
Deposited in 1988, with further accessions received at various times since, including records received from Thames Water's former archive held at Abbey Mills between 2014 and 2016..
Zone du contenu et de la structure
Portée et contenu
Records of Thames Water predecessor companies (water supply) and local authorities (waste water management including sewer network), comprising the following:
ACC/2558/CH: Chelsea Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/DV: Darenth Valley Main Sewerage Board
ACC/2558/EL: East London Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/GJ: Grand Junction Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/KE: Kent Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/LA: Lambeth Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/LC: Lee Conservancy Catchment Board
ACC/2558/LL: London Local Authorities, Metropolitan Board of Works, London County Council and Greater London Council
ACC/2558/MW: Metropolitan Water Board
ACC/2558/NR: New River Company
ACC/2558/S: Shadwell Waterworks Company
ACC/2558/SR: Staines Reservoir Joint Committee
ACC/2558/SV: Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company
ACC/2558/TW: Thames Water Authority
ACC/2558/WK: West Kent Main Sewerage Board
ACC/2558/WM: West Middlesex Waterworks Company
The records include corporate records and minutes, staff records, clerk's papers, records relating to water supply and distribution, technical reports, purchase records, property records, legal papers, plans, substantial series of photographs, glass plate negatives and lanterns slides (especially clean water: under ACC/2558/MW/PH, ACC/2558/MW/GP and ACC/2558/MW/L and sewer and waste water: under ACC/2558/LL/PH) and financial accounts and ledgers.
Cataloguing of this collection has been funded by Thames Water. For more information about the cataloguing project which was completed September 2019, please see 'The Thames Water Treasure Trove' in 'Source' magazine, July 2016 (library reference: 24.217 THA). London Metropolitan Archives would like to thank Thames Water for funding the cataloguing of this collection.
Évaluation, élimination et calendrier de conservation
Accroissements
Mode de classement
The records of each company have been catalogued separately. Within each company the records are divided as follows:
A (1) Corporate Records - including board minutes, parliamentary and legal papers.
B (2) Accounting Records - these are usually very extensive but do not include stocks and shares records which appear in section A.
C (3) Staff Records
D (4) Water Supply and Distribution Records - including engineering and technical files.
E (5) Purchase Records - including stock books.
F (6) Property Records - many property matters are however dealt with in the legal papers in section A.
G (7) Miscellaneous Records
Zone des conditions d'accès et d'utilisation
Conditions d'accès
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Conditions de reproduction
Copyright rests with the depositor.
Langue des documents
- anglais
Écriture des documents
- latin
Notes de langue et graphie
English
Caractéristiques matérielle et contraintes techniques
Instruments de recherche
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Zone des sources complémentaires
Existence et lieu de conservation des originaux
Existence et lieu de conservation des copies
Unités de description associées
Zone des notes
Identifiant(s) alternatif(s)
Mots-clés
Mots-clés - Sujets
- Installation industrielle
- Secteur tertiaire
- Gestion des ressources en eau » Alimentation en eau
- Eau
- Eau » Eau potable
- Source d'information
- Document
- Dégradation de l'environnement » Pollution
- Dégradation de l'environnement
- Dégradation de l'environnement » Pollution » Pollution de l'eau
- Gestion des ressources en eau
- Gestion des ressources en eau » Consommation d'eau
- Technologie de l'environnement
- Technologie de l'environnement » Assainissement » Élimination des déchets
- Technologie de l'environnement » Assainissement
- Technologie de l'environnement » Assainissement » Élimination des déchets » Traitement des déchets
- Technologie de l'environnement » Assainissement » Élimination des déchets » Traitement des déchets » Égout
- Infrastructure des transports
- Ressources en eau
- Ressources en eau » Drainage
- Ingénierie
- Entreprise
- Droit
- Droit » Législation
Mots-clés - Lieux
Mots-clés - Noms
Mots-clés - Genre
Zone du contrôle de la description
Identifiant de la description
Identifiant du service d'archives
Règles et/ou conventions utilisées
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Statut
Niveau de détail
Dates de production, de révision, de suppression
Langue(s)
- anglais